Young dunkers plan to put on show

WASHINGTON -- Baron Davis might do a a backflip before ascending to the rim. Then again he might just use a blindfold or hurdle another player on his way to the basket.

Corey Maggette is brushing up on the ''Super Maggette.'' Stay tuned.

DeShawn Stevenson won a high school dunk contest just a year ago and now at 19, he's got some new material. He just won't reveal the name of his special dunk -- unless he wins.

The neophytes have taken over the NBA All-Star dunk contest.

Vince Carter's knee is too sore to defend the title he won a year ago with some spectacular air-defying moves that even had the judges jumping out of their seats.

Forgive Carter, but he's a little like everyone else as far as this year's field.

''I don't even know who is in it. I don't want to know,'' Carter said Friday.

''Of course I'll be watching, why wouldn't I? Just like if I was in it, I'd we watching. I'm still a fan of it.''

Carter got three perfect scores last year on his way to a victory where he beat Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis in the finals.

McGrady and Francis are not entered, either, so it's six of the NBA's youngest players going for a first prize of $25,000.

''I'm a senior citizen at age 21,'' said Davis, the 6-foot-3 Charlotte guard many consider a favorite.

His competition includes Stevenson of the Jazz, 20-year-old Jonathan Bender of the Pacers, the 21-year-old Maggette of the Clippers, 21-year-old Stromile Swift of the Grizzlies and 23-year-old Desmond Mason of the SuperSonics. All are in their first dunk competition and Swift, Mason and Stevenson are rookies.

''It would have been good for Vince and some of the other guys to be in it. But this gives us the opportunity to go out and show what we can do,'' said Maggette, who claims the ''Super Maggette'' is predicated on what happens before the dunk not during.

''It is off creativity. The stuff Vince can do, that's just Vince. We normal people, we can only try the little stuff,'' Maggette added.

''I've been dunking since the seventh grade and I got things down,'' said Stevenson, who won the dunk contest at the 2000 McDonald's high school all-star game.

''I'm going to go out there and make up some new stuff. That's what it's all about.''

Davis, who said he hurt his knee slightly in Thursday night's game against Atlanta, arrived in Washington after an emotional and tiring week.

His father died last week just before he was ready to watch his son play the Lakers in Los Angeles. Davis has crossed the country three times since and attended the funeral Wednesday.

''It's starting to wear on me and I'm really tired,'' he said. ''It was really a shock. It still hasn't hit me yet. I've been thinking about it ever since. Sometimes I'm not even thinking about the game, I'm just out there wandering.''

But he'll also compete in a rookie-sophomore game on Saturday before the dunk contest. The weekend also includes a 3-point shooting contest and 2ball, a competition where players from the NBA and WNBA team up.

Jeff Hornacek, now retired, won the 3-point contest and teamed with Natalie Williams of the Utah Starzz to capture 2ball last year. Williams is back, teaming with Byron Russell.